Human-Computer Interaction - HCI

How this course will help your career

What you will learn

How to carry out the design process involved in interaction design, navigation design, and screen design

How cognition and perception, which encompass attention, memory, thought, the “senses” play a role in affecting the experience of interactive design

Why emotion is to user experience

How to implement of windowing systems, applications, architectures, and frameworks

How to evaluate user experience using numbers and statistics

Interactions between computers and humans should be as intuitive as conversations between two humans—and yet many products and services fail to achieve this. So, what do you need to know so as to create an intuitive user experience? Human psychology? Emotional design? Specialized design processes? The answer is, of course, all of the above, and this course will cover them all.

Human-computer interaction (HCI) is about understanding what it means to be a user of a computer (which is more complicated than it sounds), and therefore how to create related products and services that work seamlessly. It’s an important skill to master, because it gives any company the perspective and knowledge needed to build products that work more efficiently and therefore sell better. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts the Computer and IT occupation to grow by 12% from 2014–2024, faster than the average for all occupations. This goes to show the immense demand in the market for professionals equipped with the right computer and IT skills.

This course provides a comprehensive introduction and deep dive into HCI, so you can create designs that provide outstanding user experiences. Whether you are a newcomer to the subject of HCI or a professional, by the end of the course you will have a deep understanding of what it means to be a user and how to implement user-centered design for the best possible results.

This course is based on in-depth videos created by the amazing Alan Dix. You'll be in great company with this renowned professor from Lancaster University, a specialist in HCI and co-author of the classic textbook, Human-Computer Interaction.

Gain an industry-trusted UX Course Certificate

You earn a verifiable and industry-trusted Course Certificate
once you complete the course. You can highlight them on your resume, CV, LinkedIn profile or your website.

Our courses and Course Certificates are trusted by these industry
leaders, who have taken up company
memberships with the IDF:

Who should take this course

This is a beginner-level course suitable for newcomers and experienced practitioners alike:

UX designers who want to gain in-depth theoretical knowledge to augment their experience

Project managers looking to understand how to build products that work intuitively

Software engineers who want a solid understanding of human-computer interaction and UX design

Entrepreneurs looking to create well-designed products that stand out from the competition

Marketers who want to gain a deep understanding of customers

Newcomers to design who are considering making a switch to HCI or UX design

Courses in the Interaction Design Foundation are designed to contain comprehensive, evidence-based content, while ensuring that the learning curve is never too steep. All participants will have the opportunity to share ideas, seek help with tests, and enjoy the social aspects afforded by our open and friendly forum.

Learn and work with a global team of designers

When you take part in this course, you will join a global multidisciplinary team working on the course and the exercises at the same time as you. You will work together to improve your skills and understanding. Your course group will be made up of an incredibly diverse group of professionals, all of whom have the same objective—to become successful designers. It’s your chance to learn, grow, and network with your peers across the planet.

Lessons in this course

Lessons become available at a schedule of one lesson per week.

Lessons remain open for you forever and have no deadlines.

There is no time limit to finish a course.

You have permanent access to your course material, answers, and classmates for the entire duration of your membership.

Estimated time to complete: 16 hours 21 mins spread over 9 weeks.

Lesson 0: Introductions and welcome

Available once you start the course.
Estimated time to complete: 39 mins.

Learning paths

Practical Info

You can take as many courses as you want with no additional costs, once you become a member.

Self-paced online course

Once this course starts, you will get access to a new lesson each week.
There are no deadlines, so you can move through the lessons at
your own pace.

Permanent access to course material

You will have access to your course material, answers, and
classmates for the entire duration of your membership.

Online lessons with optional physical meet-ups

You have the flexibility to learn from anywhere with our online
courses. Optional physical meet-ups may take place in your city
via our Local Groups initiative.

Estimated time required

16 hours 21 mins spread over 9 weeks.

How others have benefited

Briane Paul Samson

Japan

“The course covered a large breadth of essential knowledge in order to start a research or practice in HCI. I liked how he used the same example or cases for some of the exercises to ensure coherence between the chapters.”

Walter Darcie Neto

Brazil

“I believe the content of the course its an must have knowledge for every person who works with technology, either if working with design or coding.”

Francesco Manciocchi

Italy

“One of the most comprehensive online lessons about designing a product for the user, thanks!”

Highlights of the Course

Popular course

This course is the top 5 most enrolled course in the past 3 months.

How others have benefited

Briane Paul Samson, Japan

“The course covered a large breadth of essential knowledge in order to start a research or practice in HCI. I liked how he used the same example or cases for some of the exercises to ensure coherence between the chapters.”

Walter Darcie Neto, Brazil

“I believe the content of the course its an must have knowledge for every person who works with technology, either if working with design or coding.”

Francesco Manciocchi, Italy

“One of the most comprehensive online lessons about designing a product for the user, thanks!”

How to advance your career with IDF courses

Attend lessons at your own pace

Each week throughout the course, you get access to a new lesson,
but you can move through the lessons at your own
pace. This means you can learn before you leave for work, or in
between breaks — in as little as 15 minutes per day.

Network online and offline

Network with your fellow course-takers online, through discussion forums inside lessons. You can also connect with your peers offline via IDF’s Local Groups. Local Groups connect you with other designers around your city who share the same passion in UX design as you.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Courses

Yes, you can take all the courses you would like. For example, if there are 30 active courses, you can enroll in all 30 courses at the same time and move from one to the other as you please.

There are no further charges once you’ve paid for your membership.

Please note: If you have a student membership, you can take a maximum of three courses at the same time. As a student, you can thus still take all the courses you would like – free of extra charges – just as long as you finish them (or drop them) so that you don’t have more than three ongoing courses at the same time.

I missed the enrollment date and now the course is closed. Will I have any opportunity to take the course in the future?

Don't worry if you missed the course. We will re-run it shortly. One of the reasons we continually open and close courses is to be able to control the classroom size.

Networking is a large part of our value proposition, so we want just the right number of people inside the courses. That is also why we display the "XX % percent booked" on our course icons.

We’ll re-schedule the course and make it available for sign-up on https://www.interaction-design.org/courses in only about a week (or perhaps a little bit longer). The actual start date of the course will be a few weeks after sign-ups begin too. We’ve found that this is the best way to maximize flexibility and convenience for everyone, especially you as you put your course program together.

Do I have to be online at an exact time to study?

No. You can set your own study schedule. There are no "live sessions" or "webinars" since our members are from all timezones around the world. We are a truly global community – with members in every single corner of the world.

Thus, once you are enrolled, you can take all the time you want to complete a given course. Every "classroom" in each course will never close, so you’ll have permanent access to your classmates and your course material (as well as your own answers).

Will I receive a Course Certificate?

Yes. Every time you complete a course, you get an industry-recognized Course Certificate. There is no limit to how many Course Certificates you can earn during your membership. You will also receive a 3-step guide on how to include your Course Certificate on LinkedIn and in your résumé/CV.

You can simply go to the course page and click on the “Drop Course” button — please bear in mind that this will also erase all your course progress and answers.

I have answered questions in a lesson; when will they be marked/graded?

We do the marking/grading in so-called "sprints," where we sit down and do all the marking/grading in one go. Your answers will be graded approximately one week after you submit your work.

We do this because it is much more efficient than doing one little step every day. It's part of our lean/agile work philosophy, and that approach to efficiency is one of the factors that keeps our membership prices so incredibly low.

We are doing it to save you money and as part of our mission to lower the cost of high-quality design education.

I have updated my name, but my course certificate is not updated — how can I change it?

I started a course after the official start date; for how long will I have access to the course materials?

Regardless of when you have enrolled on a course, you will have access to the course materials for the entire duration of your membership. So, if you pay for a one-year membership, you will have access for one year, renewing your membership for a second year means you will have access for two years, and so on.

English is not my first language so it takes me longer to learn through the course content, will I still be able to answer questions after the course completion date?

Yes, you will be able to submit answers for the whole duration of your membership.

New lessons are starting before I have had the chance to complete all aspects of the previous lesson(s); am I going to be locked out of these unfinished lessons?

No, you will not be locked out of any lesson or course. You will have access to all course materials throughout your membership, so there is no pressure to keep at the same pace as the specified lesson release dates.

All we recommend is that you try to stick to the same schedule as other participants. The reason is they may have moved on to other lessons, thereby meaning you could miss out on the social aspects of the course(s). However, we anticipate that there will be a constant flow of participants working through different lessons and courses, so overall you are unlikely to miss out. We will also be running all courses again — so there really is no rush.

Are course certificates awarded on a specific date?

No; you can generate your certificate as soon as you attain at least 70% of the total course points.

When will I receive my Course Certificate?

Course certificates will be given to participants when they have scored more than 70% or more of the total course points. For example, if a course contains ten lessons each with ten questions, you will receive a course certificate when the instructor has awarded you at least 70 points (70% of the total course points).

There is no specified time that certificates will be awarded — instead, they are given to participants as and when they have answered all questions, even if this is long after the official end date.

How do I add my Course Certificate to my LinkedIn profile?

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to add your IDF course(s) to your LinkedIn profile:

3. In the following fields add:• Certification name – Membership Certificate• Certification authority – The Interaction Design Foundation• License number – Your membership ID number (it's written on your membership certificate)• Time period – Input the date when you joined our community (e.g., May 2017)• Check the button “This certification does not expire”• Certification URL: Input the certificate URL provided on your profile page

4. Click on the save button.

It is as simple as that. Now, anyone who visits your profile can see your certificates!

How much will I have to pay for the courses?

As a member, you can take as many courses as you want with no additional costs. This means you only have to pay our membership fee to take an unlimited number of courses. There will be no further charges on top of the membership fee, no matter how many courses you decide to take.

Do you provide mostly beginners' or more advanced courses?

We provide courses for all levels of mastery and accross the full spectrum. If you’re new to design, you can start from our beginner courses and progress all the way up to our advanced ones. If you’re an established designer, on the other hand, you will find some of our lower-level courses provide a good refresher—and the advanced ones, a bit of a challenge.

How much time is needed to complete a course?

Once enrolled in a course, you will gain access to a new lesson each week, which you are free to complete without any deadlines and no end date, either.

What is UX (user experience) design?

Course FAQ

Yes, you can take all the courses you would like. For example, if there are 30 active courses, you can enroll in all 30 courses at the same time and move from one to the other as you please.

There are no further charges once you’ve paid for your membership.

Please note: If you have a student membership, you can take a maximum of three courses at the same time. As a student, you can thus still take all the courses you would like – free of extra charges – just as long as you finish them (or drop them) so that you don’t have more than three ongoing courses at the same time.

I missed the enrollment date and now the course is closed. Will I have any opportunity to take the course in the future?

Don't worry if you missed the course. We will re-run it shortly. One of the reasons we continually open and close courses is to be able to control the classroom size.

Networking is a large part of our value proposition, so we want just the right number of people inside the courses. That is also why we display the "XX % percent booked" on our course icons.

We’ll re-schedule the course and make it available for sign-up on https://www.interaction-design.org/courses in only about a week (or perhaps a little bit longer). The actual start date of the course will be a few weeks after sign-ups begin too. We’ve found that this is the best way to maximize flexibility and convenience for everyone, especially you as you put your course program together.

Do I have to be online at an exact time to study?

No. You can set your own study schedule. There are no "live sessions" or "webinars" since our members are from all timezones around the world. We are a truly global community – with members in every single corner of the world.

Thus, once you are enrolled, you can take all the time you want to complete a given course. Every "classroom" in each course will never close, so you’ll have permanent access to your classmates and your course material (as well as your own answers).

Will I receive a Course Certificate?

Yes. Every time you complete a course, you get an industry-recognized Course Certificate. There is no limit to how many Course Certificates you can earn during your membership. You will also receive a 3-step guide on how to include your Course Certificate on LinkedIn and in your résumé/CV.

You can simply go to the course page and click on the “Drop Course” button — please bear in mind that this will also erase all your course progress and answers.

I have answered questions in a lesson; when will they be marked/graded?

We do the marking/grading in so-called "sprints," where we sit down and do all the marking/grading in one go. Your answers will be graded approximately one week after you submit your work.

We do this because it is much more efficient than doing one little step every day. It's part of our lean/agile work philosophy, and that approach to efficiency is one of the factors that keeps our membership prices so incredibly low.

We are doing it to save you money and as part of our mission to lower the cost of high-quality design education.

I have updated my name, but my course certificate is not updated — how can I change it?

I started a course after the official start date; for how long will I have access to the course materials?

Regardless of when you have enrolled on a course, you will have access to the course materials for the entire duration of your membership. So, if you pay for a one-year membership, you will have access for one year, renewing your membership for a second year means you will have access for two years, and so on.

English is not my first language so it takes me longer to learn through the course content, will I still be able to answer questions after the course completion date?

Yes, you will be able to submit answers for the whole duration of your membership.

New lessons are starting before I have had the chance to complete all aspects of the previous lesson(s); am I going to be locked out of these unfinished lessons?

No, you will not be locked out of any lesson or course. You will have access to all course materials throughout your membership, so there is no pressure to keep at the same pace as the specified lesson release dates.

All we recommend is that you try to stick to the same schedule as other participants. The reason is they may have moved on to other lessons, thereby meaning you could miss out on the social aspects of the course(s). However, we anticipate that there will be a constant flow of participants working through different lessons and courses, so overall you are unlikely to miss out. We will also be running all courses again — so there really is no rush.

Are course certificates awarded on a specific date?

No; you can generate your certificate as soon as you attain at least 70% of the total course points.

When will I receive my Course Certificate?

Course certificates will be given to participants when they have scored more than 70% or more of the total course points. For example, if a course contains ten lessons each with ten questions, you will receive a course certificate when the instructor has awarded you at least 70 points (70% of the total course points).

There is no specified time that certificates will be awarded — instead, they are given to participants as and when they have answered all questions, even if this is long after the official end date.

How do I add my Course Certificate to my LinkedIn profile?

Below is a step-by-step guide on how to add your IDF course(s) to your LinkedIn profile:

3. In the following fields add:• Certification name – Membership Certificate• Certification authority – The Interaction Design Foundation• License number – Your membership ID number (it's written on your membership certificate)• Time period – Input the date when you joined our community (e.g., May 2017)• Check the button “This certification does not expire”• Certification URL: Input the certificate URL provided on your profile page

4. Click on the save button.

It is as simple as that. Now, anyone who visits your profile can see your certificates!

How much will I have to pay for the courses?

As a member, you can take as many courses as you want with no additional costs. This means you only have to pay our membership fee to take an unlimited number of courses. There will be no further charges on top of the membership fee, no matter how many courses you decide to take.

Do you provide mostly beginners' or more advanced courses?

We provide courses for all levels of mastery and accross the full spectrum. If you’re new to design, you can start from our beginner courses and progress all the way up to our advanced ones. If you’re an established designer, on the other hand, you will find some of our lower-level courses provide a good refresher—and the advanced ones, a bit of a challenge.

How much time is needed to complete a course?

Once enrolled in a course, you will gain access to a new lesson each week, which you are free to complete without any deadlines and no end date, either.

Ask a question about the course

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